Shelter Dog Meal Donation Count:
Taking a dog out on the water can be a ton of fun for both you and the dog. However, if your dog has never been on a boat, kayak, raft, canoe, etc., it can take some getting used to. In fact, some dogs might be scared or nervous at first –as the motion can cause them concern and so can all that water. Kimberly Brenowitz is a Master Dog Trainer, certified with EARS (United Animal Nations) now known as Red Rovers … Read more
This is a much needed video that every parent needs to watch, whether they own dogs or not. It’s estimated that 77% of dog bites involving children come from the family dog or a dog they know. Unfortunately, it’s all too common that the dog ends up suffering just as much as the child. This video supplies the ultimate answer to dog bite prevention — education. Adults need to learn and understand dog behavior so they can teach it to … Read more
Sometimes called the “moonwalk,” this is not only a cute a trick, but it strengthens your dog’s back legs and teaches them about hind end awareness, which can help them in sports and prevent injury. It’s also relatively easy to teach and can be fun to show off at parties. Before Beginning… Make sure your dog is physically fit enough to perform this trick. If they have any type of past injury or chronic condition like arthritis, ask your vet first. … Read more
Owners of reactive dogs have it ruff. People often glare at you if you try to bring them anywhere. You stress, so your dog is even more stressed. You feel like people believe your dog shouldn’t be allowed in public. Sometimes, it may even feel like they don’t think he should be alive. I can relate – I have two reactive dogs. One is fearful and is easier to deal with, because she just cowers. But the other, used to … Read more
Show of hands, how many owners have dogs that go ballistic when they hear a knock or the doorbell ring? How many owners have dogs that dart out the door as soon as it is partially opened? 70% of dog owners deal with this on a daily basis. Through training, persistence and a lot of patience, a dog can be trained to “tone it down” when guest come to the door. Here are a few tips. Back to … Read more
Every time a training article is written, the first paragraph should be begin with “Every dog is unique, every dog has different learning styles, and there is no cookie cutter technique that will work with every dog!” There are positive reinforcement and negative reinforcement techniques that are effectively used in the training process, most often applied in behavior modification. Not all dogs respond to 100% positivity. On the flip side, no good comes from 100% negativity either. There can be … Read more
While all dogs pose different challenges when it comes to training, personality as well as environmental factors playing a part. Still, some breeds are easy to train, whereas others have qualities that can make training more difficult. If you are a first-time dog owner or looking for your first performance dog, one of these breeds may be a good choice. Unlike most lists of “easy to train” dog breeds, you will not find one herding breed – Border Collie, Aussie, … Read more
There’s more than a few mistakes dog owners make. It happens. We’re human, and it’s hard to keep rules in place when your new pup looks at you. But inconsistency can cause problems that you may have to deal with your dog’s whole life if you don’t correct them. Hindsight is 20/20, but new dogs owners may be struggling, and learning as they do! Here are a few mistakes to avoid if you are a first-time dog owner or starting … Read more
Dog Bite Prevention week is coming up, which means it’s a great time to think about biting dogs and how to get them to stop. A puppy may start out with small bites or what seems like play, but if you let him keep doing it, eventually those bites will become serious and you will be faced with a decision no dog owner ever wants to have to make. Luckily, it is fairly easy to get a puppy to learn … Read more
It can take a while to train a dog to not jump up when greeting. In the meantime, how do you keep your dog from jumping up while you are still training him? Here are a few tips you can try to keep your dog’s paws on the floor until he has learned to do it on his own. #1 – Stay calm Tell anyone that wants to greet your dog to be calm. A soft voice and slow movements … Read more
It can be easy to think you need a second dog – you see other people with multiple dogs, you see all those adorable rescues that need homes – but that doesn’t mean you are ready for a second dog. There are many things you should think about before you bring home another canine family member. #1 – Do you have the time? A second dog means more time bathing, grooming, walking, playing, training, etc. If your current dog barely gets … Read more
It happens to pretty much anyone who has ever trained a dog: you dog is doing amazing in class and/or at home, but then you take him somewhere else and he won’t listen to anything you say. This is the point where most dog owners get frustrated and claim their dog is stubborn – only working when he feels like it. The truth is, most dogs are not stubborn. There are in fact a few reasons why your dog may not … Read more
There is just something too cute about a dog waving. As demonstrated in this video, you can teach your dog to wave with each paw, or both paws at once. The best part about wave? It’s fairly easy to teach and most dog enjoy doing it. Teach The Trick Step 1 Make sure you have treats and a clicker (if you use one) on hand. Sit or stand facing your dog and put one of your hands in a fist … Read more
When your puppy was very little, he followed you everywhere. But now he is older, independent, and has found that the world has a lot more to offer than you (sounds like human kids, huh?) This time when you call him, instead of flying into your open arms, he stands and looks at you like, “why should I?” or, if he is really brazen, he takes this opportunity to flee in the other direction. Never fear, there is hope! Here … Read more
Photos of dogs balancing things on their heads have been sweeping the internet. After all, its adorable and impressive because your dog has to have a lot of self-control to sit or stand that still. But, it’s also a great trick to teach a dog lacking in self-control how to be calm. Have a dog that’s a bit head shy? This trick will teach them that things coming at the heard are a GOOD thing! Here is a video of … Read more
All dogs should have some sort of basic obedience training, but unfortunately many owners seem get lazy and lose interest in training their dogs. This is bad not only because you’re likely to end up with an uncontrollable dog with bad manners, but it will make your dog unhappy because they end up having no structure and no idea what you want from them. But beyond basic manners and house training, there are other commands you can teach your dog … Read more
Regardless of the dog you have decided to share your life with, there are certain behavior challenges we all have to face. On a really bad day, it can be enough to make you want to scream. But, before you do, stop and think about these two things: Every dog owner has felt like you do – they got through it and so will you. Correction (yelling or other forms of punishment) don’t work. The dog usually doesn’t understand why … Read more
All dogs need some level of obedience training, but that doesn’t mean you need to become the next world champion team. Some owners think they’re dogs are good enough without being trained or don’t want to spend the time and money required to successfully teach basic house manners. But there are many reasons you should take your dog or puppy to an obedience class. Whether it’s a group class at a local pet store that teaches beginning obedience or you … Read more
No matter how much you love your dog, eating a meal with him staring at you constantly or jumping up and stealing your food is not fun. Here are 15 tips to make your dog a better dinner guest. #1 – Teach “leave it” A leave it cue is great for getting your dog to leave you (and your food!) alone. A correctly taught leave it should mean that you only have to say it once, and then your dog won’t … Read more
iHeartDogs is reader-supported. When you buy via links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission at no extra cost to you. Ever wondered how your dog is feeling? Of course you have, we all have! And while some emotions may be harder to pinpoint, boredom is one that most dogs display quite clearly. Here are 12 signs that your dog is bored and needs something to do. One thing to note: a lot of these can also be signs … Read more
Does your puppy or dog jump “maul” you when you come home? Can you not get through the door without him clobbering you with love and attention? What about when you are holding a piece of food? Does he perform dolphin-like leaps to get that morsel from your hand? Even worse, does he do this when he meets a stranger on the street or a guest in your house? While his intentions may be (mostly) good, this type of jumping … Read more
Are you tired of your dog walking you? Wondering why none of the methods you have tried have worked? As a dog trainer, I have found that leash-pulling tops the list when I ask my clients what they would like to work on with their dog. And no wonder! It’s not only frustrating and exhausting to be pulled for an entire walk, it’s also dangerous. A dog that pulls on a leash can: Pull their owner over Trip them Get … Read more
Toledo, United States.